Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a marine propulsion device, and more particularly, it relates to a marine propulsion device including an accelerator grip.
Description of the Background Art
A marine propulsion device including an accelerator grip is known in general. Such a marine propulsion device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2014-046745, for example.
In general, a marine propulsion device is provided with an accelerator grip to adjust drive force in a forward movement direction or in a reverse movement direction generated from a power source. When finely adjusting forward/reverse movement of a boat body, a user repeats an operation of switching the accelerator grip from a rotatable state in one of a forward movement rotation region and a reverse movement rotation region to a rotatable state in the other of the forward movement rotation region and the reverse movement rotation region. In this case, there is a time lag until the boat body responds to the operation of switching the accelerator grip. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to recognize that the accelerator grip has been switched from the rotatable state in one of the forward movement rotation region and the reverse movement rotation region to the rotatable state in the other of the forward movement rotation region and the reverse movement rotation region. The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2014-046745 is known to solve this problem.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2014-046745 discloses a marine propulsion device including a power source, a steering handle that extends forward with respect to the power source, and an accelerator grip movably mounted on the steering handle. A movement region of the accelerator grip includes a forward movement rotation region where the accelerator grip is operated to rotate about a rotation axis so as to obtain drive force in a forward movement direction from the power source and a reverse movement rotation region where the accelerator grip is operated to rotate about the rotation axis so as to obtain drive force in a reverse movement direction from the power source. A shaft portion of the steering handle is provided with an engaging member that engages with the accelerator grip. The accelerator grip is not allowed to rotate in the forward movement rotation region and the reverse movement rotation region in a state where the accelerator grip and the engaging member engage with each other. A user presses down the engaging member while griping the accelerator grip. When the user presses down the engaging member, engagement between the accelerator grip and the engaging member is released, and the accelerator grip is allowed to rotate. Thus, when the accelerator grip is switched from a rotatable state in one of the forward movement rotation region and the reverse movement rotation region to a rotatable state in the other of the forward movement rotation region and the reverse movement rotation region, the accelerator grip engages with the engaging member to be temporarily fixed, and hence the user recognizes that the rotation region of the accelerator grip is switched by releasing this engagement. In the marine propulsion device described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2014-046745, however, it is necessary to release the engagement between the accelerator grip and the engaging member when the accelerator grip is switched from the rotatable state in one of the forward movement rotation region and the reverse movement rotation region to the rotatable state in the other of the forward movement rotation region and the reverse movement rotation region. Thus, although the user recognizes that the rotation region of the accelerator grip is switched, an operation of switching the accelerator grip from the rotatable state in one of the forward movement rotation region and the reverse movement rotation region to the rotatable state in the other of the forward movement rotation region and the reverse movement rotation region is complicated, and it is difficult for the user to smoothly perform the operation of switching the rotation region of the accelerator grip.